The park will feature 22 rides and attractions including 9 world firsts RIYADH: The Qiddiya Investment Co. on Wednesday announced the award of a SR2.8 billion ($750 million) contract to build Saudi Arabia’s first and the region’s largest water theme park. The contract was awarded to ALEC Saudi Arabia Engineering and Contracting and El Seif Engineering Contracting, in a joint venture between the two companies. The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be one of the key entertainment attractions at Qiddiya, the future capital of entertainment, sports and culture. The agreement was signed between Qiddiya’s Managing Director Abdullah bin Nasser Aldawood, ALEC’s CEO Kez Taylor and El Seif’s CEO Ahmed Al-Bassam at a ceremony held at the Qiddiya Experience Center, followed by a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction. The park will cover 252,000 square meters of land and will be home to 22 rides and attractions — including nine that will be world firsts. Visitors will also be able to enjoy nine special zones — the Entry Gate, Camel Rock, Dub Grotto, Wave Wadi, the Den, Viper Canyon, Arabian Peak, the Herding Grounds and Surf Lagoon — inspired by the native animals that inhabit the area around Qiddiya. Commenting on the deal, Aldawood said: “The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be a year-round immersive family entertainment destination. The park will offer our guests a chance to experience that in a welcoming and fun environment for everyone.” Some rides have been designed to use 75 percent less water compared to the more conventional rides found in other water parks. In addition, rainwater that falls on the site will be captured, treated and reused for irrigating the destination. The park will also integrate technologies to reduce water pressure in certain rides which will in turn reduce water evaporation by half. In addition, every pool in the complex will be based on a “run-out” concept so that at the end of an exciting slide individuals will glide safely across a shallower pool that uses less water unlike traditional deeper pools used in other water parks.